Trials with the Small-Bore 3 i 



farther. The grass was too short, and a step farther 

 would have meant my trouble for nothing. On the 

 other hand, the animal had moved slightly, and, 

 scentino- dansrer, still looked in the direction he had 



O O ' 



seen us at first. I was nearly 200 yards away ; but 

 there was no longer any time to hesitate. I raised 

 myself slowly in a line with the trunk of one of the 

 trees, took careful aim, and pulled the trigger. 



Receiving my shot, the eland kicked, turned to the 

 right, and fled at a headlong gallop. I was certain of 

 having hit him; but, seeing him get away so swiftly, I 

 thought him only slightly wounded. Still following 

 him with my eyes, I saw him slacken his pace from a 

 gallop to a trot ; then suddenly he rolled over in the 

 grass, kicked for a moment with his four feet, and 

 disappeared. When we ran up a few minutes after- 

 wards we found him dead. The bullet, passing 

 through the heart, had shattered and very much 

 damaged it. 



Although satisfied with the precision of my rifle, 

 I did not regard this trial as conclusive, because all 

 animals which are wounded to the heart are irrevocably 

 doomed, whatever may be the projectile or weapon. 

 Later, experience taught me that the eland is too big 

 for this kind of projectile, and that the Express 577 

 is the weapon with which to kill it without too much 

 trouble or loss of time. When the animal is very 

 corpulescent, and the quantity of flesh is considerable, 

 a projectile which gives a violent shock is necessary 

 to kill it, which is not the case with the small-bore 

 bullets. 



